A DOCTOR’S PASSION FOR PH RESEARCH

I was always fascinated by pulmonary disease, ventilatory mechanics and pulmonary hemodynamics. After a clinical elective at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, I joined the lab of Steven Kawut, MD, as a postdoctoral research scientist. I led his first National Institutes of Health-funded clinical trial in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

I had little experience in PH prior to my work on that trial, but I quickly learned more about it. The trial gave me the opportunity to interact with people afflicted with this disease. I soon realized that I wanted to be part of the team to improve their lives.

In 2017, I was lucky to receive the Aldrighetti Research Award for Young Investigators from the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, as well as an NIH career development award. The grants allowed me to conduct my PH research, which focuses on the association of body weight and obesity on clinical outcomes.

In December 2020, the Annals of the American Thoracic Society published the results of a study that I led on patients enrolled in the Pulmonary Hypertension Association Registry. The study found that about two-thirds of patients were overweight or obese. Overweight and obese patients with PH experienced worse quality of life and higher rates of hospitalization. The results highlight the importance of addressing specific issues to improve quality of life for people with PH who are overweight or obese.

I am proud to be a member of the PH community and the PHA Registry steering committee. With the support of PHA and other organizations that fund PH research, I am hopeful that we will be able to make a difference in lives of people with PH.

Nadine Al-Naamani, MD, treats people with pulmonary hypertension and other serious lung conditions at Penn Medicine and conducts PH research. She is an assistant professor of medicine at University of Pennsylvania Hospital, a Pulmonary Hypertension Association-accredited PH Care Center.